security issues

[avechaser]

Esta es la traducción al español de un escrito que publicamos ayer en el Foro en inglés.

Vamos a tratar el asunto del por qué – aparentemente - hay un aumento en el número de personas andando día y noche en nuestra área que no tienen ningún vínculo obvio con los propietarios, sus familias, o verdaderos invitados personales. Esas personas gozan gratuitamente de las facilidades cuyos costos de operación y mantenimiento son pagadas por nosotros; y generalmente abusan de los derechos de los propietarios.

Legalmente, estamos en un área residencial y no se permiten actividades comerciales. Pero en realidad hay una cantidad de establecimientos que continuamente ofrecen alojamiento a cambio de dinero. Dentro de su propaganda, se atreven a ofrecer el uso gratuito de nuestros “facilidades comunitarias” tales como la piscina y canchas de tenis del club y senderos, carreteras, y balnearios. Todos estos se mantienen con lo que nosotros, los propietarios, pagan a Melo, y nunca dimos permiso para que los mismos sean utilizados a beneficio de algún comercio. Hemos aquí unos ejemplos tomados del web (cada uno está originalmente en ingles; la traducción es nuestra):

http://chagresnationalpark.blogspot.com Ofrece alojamiento para vacaciones en un “apartamento amplio …. ubicado en Los Alltos de Cerro Azul, una comunidad privada….. Esta comunidad ofrece seguridad las 24 horas, internet de alta velocidad, canchas de tenis, una piscina y un restaurante. También tiene varios senderos a través del bosque nuboso tropical con ríos y cascadas maravillosos por todos lados.”
http://greenplanettourism.com/rates.shtml Vinculado al sitio anterior, este ofrece alojamiento para mas personas. Dentro del programa de tres dias se incluyen: “Gira de las propiedades o tiempo libre para aprovechar del restaurante del club, piscina o para jugar tenis, o para explorar la naturaleza y el resto de la comunidad. Almuerzo al aire libre en el rio or en El Nido (dependiendo del clima).”
http://gingerhouse-panama.com/activities.php Ofrece alojamiento B&B. Dentro de las atracciones mencionadas son: “Caminatas – El Parque Nacional Chagres tiene varios senderos accesibles con señalización dentro de la comunidad de Cerro Azul y cercanos al Ginger House.
Natación – Lago o Piscina de la comunidad.
Tenis – Utilice la cancha de la comunidad.”
El siguiente sitio web ofrece alojamiento dentro de nuestra comunidad como parte de una gira más extensiva. No es el único que hace esta clase de oferta: http://www.birdingpanama.com/pipeline_road_birding.html
Y quedamos boquiabiertos cuando leímos el siguiente sitio web (lo podrán buscar ustedes mismos):
http://www.onelifewarrior.org/2011/10/t ... -trail-run

Adicionalmente (o tal vez debido) a lo anterior, hay otros lugares que venden alojamiento a grandes cantidades de personas y con frecuencia encontramos busitos repletos de gente o gente a pie entrando en nuestra área. Quiénes son? Esta no es área turística comercial – es una comunidad residencial privada!

No es irracional esperar que el Grupo Melo haga algo al respeto. Durante los primeros años de existencia de nuestro residencial Melo con su propia iniciativa imponía un control estricto sobre el acceso inapropiado al área en general, y en particular a los balnearios donde los fines de semana había garitas que uno no podía pasar a menos que fuera un verdadero dueño o invitado del mismo. Al mismo tiempo, cuando ocurría algún abuso de las leyes de zonificación, Melo tomaba pasos firmes e inmediatos para pararlo. Todo esto se lograba con las B/.5.00 que cada uno pagábamos mensualmente en concepto de cuota de asociación de residentes (el TSM y el club llegaron después, ambos inventados unilateralmente por el Grupo Melo).

Hoy en día, Melo es tanto Administrador como Junta Directiva de las asociaciones de propietarios, pero a pesar de ocupar ambos puestos de autoridad, no toma acción alguna. Mientras tanto, nosotros los propietarios no tenemos representación legal real y en ausencia de alguien que imponga las reglas la situación inevitablemente se empeorará. No queremos que Melo se vaya, pero sí queremos que haga su trabajo y además cooperara en reemplazar las asociaciones de propietarios inoperantes con una que realmente funcione y que pudiera junto con él poner orden.

Bill and Esther Adsett
Lots 142/143 El Torreón

[admin4206]

Por ser un tema de interés para varios propietarios y que además tiene que ver con la seguridad, publicamos este reporte noticioso que apareció recientemente en un periódico de la localidad.

BATALLA CONTRA ALQUILERES ILEGALES
Por ALEX E. HERNÁNDEZ (aehernandez@prensa.com)

En internet se pueden encontrar apartamentos que son alquilados por menos de 80 dólares por noche. Actualmente hay 18 mil 500 habitaciones disponibles en la capital. LA PRENSA/ Gabriel Rodríguez.

18/04/2013 - En momentos en que la oferta hotelera crece más rápido que la demanda, también ha tomado auge el negocio de alquilar apartamentos con fines turísticos.

Quienes están detrás del negocio son propietarios de inmuebles que en algún momento pensaron vender sus apartamentos por el doble de su precio original, pero que al no encontrar dueño optaron por alquilarlos a turistas que estarán de visita durante un tiempo corto.

Los hoteleros se quejan de una competencia desleal porque los dueños de apartamento no pagan impuestos turísticos y trabajan ilegalmente.

En la Ley 481 de 2012 se prohíbe el alquiler de apartamentos a turistas por menos de 45 días, y quienes incurran en la falta pueden ser sancionados con una multa inicial de 5 mil dólares, pero el monto puede llegar hasta los 50 mil dólares en caso de que sean reincidentes.

En internet se pueden encontrar ofertas de hospedaje, por menos de 80 dólares diarios, en zonas exclusivas de la ciudad como San Francisco, Paitilla y Punta Pacífica, mientras que los hoteles citadinos ofertan tarifas que van desde 99 hasta 130 dólares en promedio.

La dirección de inversiones turísticas de la Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá (ATP) ha sancionado este año a 20 empresas que ofrecen por internet apartamentos para corta estancia.

Ernesto Orillac, subadministrador de la ATP, indicó que “hay un tema de seguridad. Las personas que alquilan estos apartamentos pagan en efectivo y se desconoce cuáles son sus movimientos en el país”. Adelantó que contratarán más inspectores para redoblar los operativos, debido al impacto que tiene esta actividad sobre el sector hotelero.

[Adam]

Hello all. This is a serious issue. Unfortunately, Vistamares´legal stature in the area isnt as valid as we all might like. Hopefully with the new quad purchase we will have greater support from the police to enforce trespassing. Non owners are considered to be tresspassing on the roads past a certain time of night and this should be a reasonable issue to enforce in such an isolated community. No one is going to walk to the corner store at night after all because there is nowhere to walk to. On the second point which is room rental in Los Altos, there are certain things to consider. Firstly, in Ginger House the owner lives on site and Panama law strictly enforces the right of people to do as they choose in their primary residence and there is a certain amount of control over the guests as it is a bed and breakfast and the owner is almost always present. Also, a business is not required to apply for official status nor pay the standard tax rate or register itself if it has less than 10,000.00USD starting investment. I would certainly qualify a house used for the sole purpose of hotel style renting in this category so anyone wishing to make a formal complaint can do so at the DGI in Hatillo and with the Municipality, this isnt really melos issue although they should be the ones reporting it. The permitted occupancy of a home in rural residential areas is 60 inhabitants per hectar. This means that a 1000 meter square lot is allowed 6 residents which in construction terms is 4 bedrooms. If someone is violating this it can be reported to the municipality in order for the authorities to condemn additional housing on these lots. Hope this helps, dont expect vistamares to get involved, they never do, and remember, if your reports are denied or rejected the person you reported will have the right to persue minor compensation for any costs they may incur defending themselves. Dont report people doing these actions in their primary residence because you will lose. This includes ginger house and Jamies house in alcazar, I dont know about anyone else and personally these two people help the visibility of our community quite a bit albeit at a certain risk of bringing the wrong people up.

[Marco]

Adam -
Thanks for joining and adding your voice to the discussion. You have a lot on your mind and much of it sounds reasonable. Improving security here is, of course, my main interest.

In terms of private residence rentals, can you state the law that governs this? I'd like to see the $10MM startup figure and other regs.

Thanks,

Marco
233 El Centinela

[tsimons]

Here's an extract of the law,

Ley 80 del 8 de Noviembre del 2012
Artículo 21
Se prohíbe todo arrendamiento inferior a cuarenta y cinco días, en el distrito de Panamá, a quienes no cuenten con permiso de alojamiento público turístico (edificios o residencias). Dicho acto será sancionado por la Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá, con multa de cinco mil balboas (B/.5,000.00) a cincuenta mil balboas (B/.50,000.00), considerando la gravedad de la falta y/o reincidencia en dicho acto, por parte del sujeto arrendador.
Serán objeto de estas mismas sanciones las personas que publiciten por cualquier vía, incluyendo la electrónica, estos servicios.

Para más información o denuncias contáctenos a través del 526-7004
o escríbanos a inversiones@atp.gob.pa

Categoría:
Información Relevante

[Adam]

The issue is not the individual laws that restrict the capability of performing certain actions, it is the arguability of a persons position in Cerro Azul. If the law is arguable it is unreasonable to enforce until the argument is won because no-one wants to fight a superficial battle if the end result could be a loss (this is where we are now no one will report anything because they may lose the battle). I can site laws dating from 1940´s to refute the constitutionality of law 80 of 8 november 2012 and then contradict them with civil, criminal, judicial, administrative and local laws. Read carefully ARTICLE No. 1 of this same law 80 of 8 of November 2012 and weigh it with the scope of our situation in Cerro Azul taking into account that the sums of investment littered throughout this law are from 8 million dollars and upward and do not apply to primary residences of the owner.

[Marco]

Adam -

The law 80 as published in the Gaceta does not include the phrase as seen on the Tourism website ="(edificios o residencias)". Very curious. It is as if the authorities added wording to their webpage to deal with your observation the law doesn't regulate a private home owner conducting a business. Perhaps their action is illegal or at the least "arguable."

So following up on this, I would be very interested in any citation to a law you can provide regulating businesses conducted in private residences. Going back to the 1940's is daunting for me since the Gaceta only offers links to 2006.

Thanks,

Marco
233 El Centinela

[admin4206]

Original post from Dennis Zechiel

De: Dennis Zechiel
Fecha:21/04/2014 01:13 AM (GMT-05:00)
A: admin@altosdecerroazulresidencial.org
Asunto: Re: Pro Altos de Cerro Azul Residencial (PACAR) Daily Digest

With all due respect for the integrity of a previous writer, is Los Altos de Cerro Azul an exclusive RESIDENTIAL community, or is it not? We are supposed to be living in a private, gated, residential community where commercial enterprises are prohibited. So much for that apparent misunderstanding of reality by the developer's past and current advertising. Evidently, based upon what has been stated in this forum, the laws of the Republic of Panama permit home owners to engage in whatever endeavors their profit-motivated inclinations may inspire, as long as the activities are conducted inside the owner's primary residence. Reportedly, there are now a couple of established bread and breakfasts, and several guest houses, including back-yard cabins, being advertised over the internet and rented on a daily and weekend basis to the general public. There may also be one or two fledgling in-home restaurants awaiting public recognition and unrestrained growth. At the time we bought into this project, we were lead to believe that only owners, their relatives, and invited personal guests could get through the guarded security gate. Now, several profit-motivated enterprising owners are reportedly escorting buses and caravans of cars through the gate under the guise of "invited guests." The apparent inability to stop such an obvious invasion of our "private," low density, single-family-residences-only neighborhood, is totally contrary to the published description of this residential project. Our streets and recreational facilities are all maintained at property owners' expense, yet total strangers, in the form of publically invited patrons of a few profiteering neighbors, are being encouraged and welcomed to enter and make themselves at home in our privately maintained neighborhoods. Personally, I feel betrayed by the developer and threatened by the invading overnight and weekend tourists, who are, in fact, total strangers to everyone in our highly touted private gated community. It's impossible to keep track of who are owners and who are visitors when new faces are arriving off the street every weekend. Our private gated community is quietly being turned into a public tourist attraction. When are the concession stands and carnival rides going to be added to the landscape? We may as well add an amusement park to keep the invited tourists occupied when they are not walking or driving our streets and the various nature trails. How about installing an official greeter (paid via TSM, of course) to make certain that the future hoards of touring "guests" will not be too inconvenienced by the non-enterprising owners/residents who will be meekly coming and going through the wide open public gate, that formerly was intended to protect our private, exclusive, residential community? Is this the type of "visibility" that we want to convey to the world? Is Los Altos de Cerro Azul and exclusive RESIDENTIAL community, or is it not?

Thank you for your attention.
Fortaleza Dennis
22 Los Pinos

[Adam]

Hi all.
There are zoning restrictions for commercial use of rural residential property which restricts commercial use of property and also law 80 which limits private home and condo rental to 45 days or more. I think I have been misunderstood in the discussion.
The issue is that no one wants to report it because there are contradicting laws. And even if it was reported, the inspectors work monday to friday and most short term rentals occur friday night to sunday. Our area is exclusive and is residential but the rules arent as clear cut and actionable as though we were in the States or Canada. Also, the right to do what you will on your own property here in panama is well defined. This results in difficult problems when it comes to enforcing law 80 on resident home owners. Almost 80% of the 5k fines issued through law 80 were issued to web-based booking sites where everything is issued in paper over the internet. It is certainly a daunting task. I dont think bed and breakfasts should be a target but unsupervised guests should be discouraged. I would like to know what the security commission has decided and will help in any way I can with reporting incidents that are contrary to clearcut law. Special requests can be made through the autoridad de turismo for saturday inspections if it is the decision of the comitee to proceed with claims (not with bed and breakfasts... that fight, in my opinion, is not winnable). -Adam-